They are in shorts, despite the ambient temperature of -3°C, with tattoos on their arms and a touch of American accent. The five men have just entered a beer bar, after some shopping at the small Christmas market in Rzeszow. What are they doing in this town of 200,000 inhabitants in southern Poland, located an hour from the Ukrainian border? The fellows cut short any discussion… At a neighboring table, a man wears a “Make America great again” cap, the slogan of US President-elect Donald Trump. He also prefers to avoid any questions.
Ten thousand American troops are believed to be present in this area, local media say. Where are they ? Most locals know it, but no one wants to talk about it. In this restaurant, open well before 2022, the presence of the “Yankees” is very appreciated. “They love what we offer”confides Patrick, the young owner of the place, with a smile on his face.
Military aid to kyiv
“Are you a soldier?” »asks a taxi driver before driving us towards the military base. Along the side of the road, fences installed nearly two years ago conceal the runways and warehouses of the base. When the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, the 82e American airborne division was the first to land its packages in Poland. More precisely at the Rzeszow-Jasionka international airport, twenty minutes by car from the town of the same name. Rzeszow has become a strategic crossroads for aid to Ukraine. It is here, under the protection of American soldiers, that most Western military aid to Kiev passes. The material is transported by plane, then sent by trains or trucks to Ukraine.
An hour away, in the town of Mielec, tongues are loosened further. Since the departure of the 101st Airborne Division of the American army in April 2023, a wind of nostalgia has reigned over this city of 60,000 inhabitants. The soldiers were stationed for almost a year at the local airport, alongside the American aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky.
“We loved them very much, we are sad that they moved”regrets a resident, Lucyna Rybak. This English teacher remembers: “They were spending a lot in the stores. » Gymnastics clubs were also very popular with the military, forcing the young people of Mielec to skip their turn.
At mass every Sunday
“Once, in my garden, I was disturbed by a deafening noise: an American assault helicopter, CH-47 Chinook, which had just taken off from the base”remembers Lucyna Rybak. Even though the presence of American soldiers constantly reminded her of the proximity of the Ukrainian conflict, she felt safe because of them.
A priest for five years and English-speaking, Piotr Turek was appointed, at the request of the American and Polish authorities, to the parish of Chorzelow in 2022, on the outskirts of Mielec, to serve as a military chaplain. “I still have contact with some soldiers since they left our city. They tell me they felt better in Poland than in Germany (where they were redeployed, Editor’s note). » Some American soldiers attended mass every Sunday, he remembers, also with a touch of nostalgia. “Parishioners often ask me if they will ever come back. »
